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By Madu Obi
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has written the governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, to pay its members N900.7m used in fueling generating sets for street lights.
About 70 contractors are believed to be owed the money used to supply diesel to the state government for the streetlights across the state for two months.
In the letter signed by the chairman, Chinedu Anyaso and secretary, Emeka Iloafor, IPMAN said the debt was for the period between March and April, 2022.
According to the association, the decision to demand for the governor's intervention was reached at its annual general meeting held in Enugu on August 24.
IPMAN said its members supplied the diesel soon after the exit of the previous administration before they were directed to stop by the Soludo administration.
It appealed to the governor to clear the outstanding debts, which had been verified, to enable the affected members already going out of business to remain afloat,.
It added that the marketers had their trading capitals trapped with the government, while those who obtained bank loans were in a liquidity crisis because of their inability to service the debt.
The letter read: “Sir, we want to bring to your notice that your department in charge of paying for diesel and services on the Anambra streetlights has refused to offset an outstanding debt owed to our members.
'The debt is to the tune of N900,664,805 accrued for the months of March and April 2022.”
"Our members are dying because of these debts and the banks are chasing them around to repay the loans given to them to do this business. We attach the breakdown of the debts for your records, sir.”
The state Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Mr. Collins Nwabunwanne, whose office handled the transaction, said he was aware of the contractors’ transactions and plights, assuring that the government would take necessary action.
“I am not aware that they wrote a letter to the governor. I have not seen it, but I know what they are talking about," he said.
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